U.S. patent application number 11/177913 was filed with the patent office on 2007-01-11 for air-supply control device for air-pressure regulator.
Invention is credited to Hsing-Chi Hsieh.
Application Number | 20070006881 11/177913 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37617193 |
Filed Date | 2007-01-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070006881 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hsieh; Hsing-Chi |
January 11, 2007 |
Air-supply control device for air-pressure regulator
Abstract
An air supply control device includes a fixed sleeve mounted on
and extended into an air-pressure regulator to communicate an
external environment with an air passage in the regulator while the
air passage is communicable with a mouthpiece, and a control plate
and a push-button control unit mounted in the fixed sleeve with a
front flat plate of the control plate extended across the air
passage of the regulator. When the push-button control unit is
axially pushed, the control plate is turned to different angular
position to thereby change a sectional area of the air passage. A
diver may therefore control the air volume supplied from the
air-pressure regulator via the air passage to the diver depending
on a diving depth simply by pushing the push-button control unit to
different axial position.
Inventors: |
Hsieh; Hsing-Chi; (Taipei,
TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PRO-TECHTOR INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
20775 NORADA CT.
SARATOGA
CA
95070
US
|
Family ID: |
37617193 |
Appl. No.: |
11/177913 |
Filed: |
July 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/204.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B63C 11/2227 20130101;
A62B 9/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
128/204.26 |
International
Class: |
A62B 7/04 20060101
A62B007/04 |
Claims
1. An air supply control device for regulating air volume supplied
from an air-pressure regulator to a diver depending on a diving
depth, said air-pressure regulator including a mouthpiece
communicating with an inner space of said regulator to form an air
passage, said air supply control device comprising: a fixed sleeve
mounted on and extended into said air-pressure regulator to
communicate an external environment with said air passage; said
fixed sleeve being provided at one side with a longitudinal guide
slot and a plurality of locating holes, said locating holes being
arranged in the same direction as that in which said guide slot
extends and being communicable with said guide slot; a control
plate including a slotted annular body and a flat plate connected
to a front end of said annular body; said control plate being
fitted in said fixed sleeve with said flat plate located in said
air passage of said air-pressure regulator; said annular body being
formed on a wall thereof with a pair of spiral slots, and defining
therein a channel extending a predetermined length and
communicating with said spiral slots; and a push-button control
unit for turning said control plate to different angular positions
under control; said push-button control unit including: a control
button being mounted in said channel of said annular body of said
control plate and provided at two sides with a first and a second
pusher, which are extended into and engaged with said pair of
spiral slots on said annular body; an elastic plate backward
extending from a front end of said first pusher to slide in said
longitudinal guide slot on said fixed sleeve, allowing said control
button to slide in an extending direction of said longitudinal
guide slot with said first and second pushers moving in said pair
of spiral slots to rotate said control plate until said elastic
plate is engaged with one of said locating holes on said fixed
sleeve; an elastic element being mounted between said channel of
said annular body of said control plate and said control button of
said push-button control unit, so as to provide an elastic
restoring force to said control button; and a suspension arm being
fitted around the fixed sleeve, and including at least one push
block provided at a position corresponding to and facing toward
said locating holes, whereby when said push block is depressed,
said elastic plate in said locating hole is deformed to move out of
said locating hole to allow said control button to return to an
initial position thereof; whereby a diver needs only to push said
control button or said suspension arm to set said flat plate of
said control plate in said air passage to different angular
position to thereby control the air volume supplied from said
air-pressure regulator to said mouthpiece via said air passage.
2. The air supply control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said push-button control unit further includes a cover for screwing
to said fixed sleeve to hold said control plate, said control
button, said elastic element, and said suspension arm in said fixed
sleeve.
3. The air supply control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said elastic plate is configured as a rearward hook, that is, said
elastic plate has a front end being formed into a slant face.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an air supply control
device, and more particularly to an air supply control device that
can be easily pushed to adjust air volume supplied into an
air-pressure regulator used by a diver.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. A general air-pressure
regulator 10 for use in diving includes a case 11, and a rubber
diaphragm 12 provided in the case 11 to separate an inner space of
the case 11 from an outer side. When the rubber diaphragm 12 is
subjected to an external pressure, i.e., water pressure, that is
larger than an internal pressure, i.e., air pressure, of the
air-pressure regulator 10, the rubber diaphragm 12 is deformed
toward the inner space of the regulator 10 to press against an
air-supply valve link 111 in the case 11 to thereby open an
air-supply valve 112. When the air-supply valve 112 is opened, air
in a diving air tank (not shown) is supplied via a through hole 113
on the air-supply valve 112 into the case 11 to increase the
internal pressure of the case 11. When the internal pressure of the
case 11 and the external pressure reach balance, the rubber
diaphragm 12 is pushed by the increased internal pressure of the
case 11 to its original position and the air-supply valve 112 is
closed. A mouthpiece 114 is provided at one side of the case 11 to
communicate with the inner space of the case 10 to form an air
passage 115. The air supplied into the case 11 flows through the
air passage 115 and the mouthpiece 114 to a diver's mouth (not
shown) When the diver draws in air via the mouthpiece 114, air and
accordingly air pressure inside the case 11 is reduced to cause
unbalance between the internal pressure and the external pressure
of the case 11, and the rubber diaphragm 12 is pressed by the
higher external pressure against the link 111 to open the
air-supply valve 112 again. Thus, the case 11 is automatically
replenished with air.
[0003] Generally speaking, air density changes with diving depth.
When the diving depth increases, the air density becomes higher
while the air speed becomes slower. At this point, the diver tends
to breathe quickly due to insufficient air supply. Reversely, when
the diving depth decreases, the air density becomes lower while the
air speed becomes quicker. At this point, the diver tends to choke
with overly supplied air.
[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an air supply control
device in the air-pressure regulator 10 at the air passage 115
communicating with the mouthpiece 114, so that a sectional area of
the air passage 115 could be timely adjusted to control the air
volume supplied to the mouthpiece 114 within one unit of time,
protecting the diver from being choked or breathing quickly.
[0005] As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional air supply
control device includes a control plate 20 having a round-sectioned
connecting body 21, a flat plate 22, and a rotatable operating
button 23. The connecting body 21 is fitted in a mounting hole 116
transversely provided at one side of the case 11 of the
air-pressure regulator 10 to extend into and communicate with the
air passage 115 inside the case 11. The flat plate 22 is connected
to a front end of the connecting body 21 and extended into the air
passage 115. When the flat plate 22 is turned, it changes a
sectional area of the air passage 115 and accordingly the air
volume that is allowed to flow through the air passage 115, as
shown in FIG. 2. The rotatable operating button 23 is located
outside the regulator 10 and connected to a rear end of the
connecting body 21. When the diver turns the operating button 23,
the flat plate 22 is turned at the same time to change the
sectional area of the air passage 115, so that adequate amount of
air is supplied to the diver.
[0006] More specifically, the flat plate 22 of the control plate 20
moves along with the rotatable operating button 23 to turn in the
air passage 115. When the flat plate 22 is turned with its one side
facing against a direction "a" in which the air flows through the
air passage 115, as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, most part
of the sectional area of the air passage 115 is blocked by the flat
plate 22, so that the air volume that is allowed to flow through
the air passage 115 is reduced. The air-pressure regulator 10 in
this state is suitable for use at a relatively small diving depth
to protect the diver from being choked with air flowing at high
speed. Reversely, when the flat plate 22 is turned with its one
edge facing against the direction "a", as shown by the phantom
lines in FIG. 2, only a small part of the sectional area of the air
passage 115 is blocked by the flat plate 22, so that a relatively
large volume of air is allowed to flow through the air passage 115.
The air-pressure regulator 10 in this state is suitable for use at
a relatively large diving depth to protect the diver from breathing
quickly due to a slow air speed.
[0007] While the above-structured conventional air supply control
device allows the diver to suitably regulate the supplied air
volume depending on the diving depth, it does not include any means
for the diver to recognize a current angular position of the flat
plate 22 in the air passage 115. Therefore, the diver is not able
to correctly control the turning direction of the control plate 20.
Moreover, since the conventional air supply control device does not
include any locating structure, the flat plate 22 tends to be
unexpectedly turned to different angular position in the air
passage 115 due to undesired external force applied thereto or
improper touch of the flat plate 22, resulting in improper supply
of air to the diver or causing confusion, inconvenience, or even
panic to the diver to endanger the diver's safety.
[0008] It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved
air supply control device for the air-pressure regulator, so that a
diver may easily regulate the air volume supplied to the air
passage of the air-pressure regulator simply by pushing a control
button to adjust the angular position of the control plate in the
air passage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A primary object of the present invention is to provide an
air supply control device for an air-pressure regulator, so that a
diver may conveniently axially push a push-button control unit of
the air supply control device to different extents for a control
plate extended into an air passage in the air-pressure regulator to
turn to different angular position to thereby change a sectional
area of the air passage and accordingly the air volume supplied
therethrough.
[0010] With the air supply control device of the present invention,
a diver is able to control the air volume supplied by the
air-pressure regulator to the diver depending on a diving depth.
The air-pressure regulator includes a mouthpiece that is held in a
diver's mouth. The mouthpiece communicates with an inner space of
the air-pressure regulator to form an air passage. The air supply
control device of the present invention includes a fixed sleeve
mounted on the air-pressure regulator to extend into the air
passage, and a control plate and a push-button control unit mounted
in the fixed sleeve. When the push-button control unit is axially
pushed, the control plate is turned to different angular position
to thereby change a sectional area of the air passage and
accordingly air volume supplied via the air passage.
[0011] The control plate is fitted in the fixed sleeve and adapted
to turn between a first and a second angular position.
[0012] When the control plate is in the first angular position, the
air passage in the air-pressure regulator has the smallest
sectional area for reduced volume of air to flow therethrough; and
when the control plate is in the second angular position, the air
passage in the air-pressure regulator has the largest sectional
area for increased volume of air to flow therethrough within one
unit of time.
[0013] The push-button control unit may be pushed to axially move
between a first and a second position to thereby turn the control
plate between the first and the second angular position.
[0014] Whereby, when the push-button control unit is in the first
position, the control plate is turned to the first angular position
in the air passage of the air-pressure regulator; and when the
push-button control unit is axially moved to the second position,
the control plate is turned to the second angular position in the
air passage. A diver may therefore conveniently push the
push-button control unit to effectively adjust the control plate to
different angular position. In this manner, the diver may easily
regulate the air volume supplied to the mouthpiece via the air
passage depending on a diving depth simply by pushing the
push-button control unit to the first or the second position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0016] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional air
supply control device for air-pressure regulator;
[0017] FIG. 2 is an assembled sectional view of the conventional
air supply control device for air-pressure regulator of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an air supply
control device for air-pressure regulator according to a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 4 is an assembled sectional view of the air supply
control device of FIG. 3 with a control button thereof in a first
position;
[0020] FIG. 5 is another assembled sectional view of the air supply
control device of FIG. 3 with the control button thereof in a
second position;
[0021] FIG. 6 is an assembled sectional view of the air supply
control device for air-pressure regulator of FIG. 3 taken along a
plane passing through a flat plate of the control device; and
[0022] FIG. 7 is an assembled sectional view of the air supply
control device for air-pressure regulator according to a second
embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Please refer to FIGS. 3 and 4 that are exploded perspective
view and assembled sectional view, respectively, of an air supply
control device for air-pressure regulator according to a first
embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] The air supply control device of the present invention is
adapted to control the air volume supplied from an air-pressure
regulator 10 to a mouthpiece 114 thereof depending on a diver's
diving depth, so that the diver may draw in proper amount of air
via the mouthpiece 114 of the air-pressure regulator 10. Please
also refer to FIG. 6. The air-pressure regulator 10 internally
includes an air passage 115 communicable with the mouthpiece 114,
and externally includes a fixed sleeve 117, which extends through a
wall of the air-pressure regulator 10 into the air passage 115. The
fixed sleeve 117 is provided at one side with a longitudinal guide
slot 1171, and a plurality of spaced locating holes 1172 arranged
in the same direction as the guide slot 1171 to communicate with
the guide slot 1171. In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and
4, there are two locating holes 1172, namely, a first-position
locating hole 1172a and a second-position locating hole 1172b. The
air supply control device of the present invention is mounted in
the fixed sleeve 117 and includes a control plate 30 and a
push-button control unit 40.
[0025] The control plate 30 includes a slotted annular body 31, and
a flat plate 32 connected to a front end of the slotted annular
body 31. The control plate 30 is fitted in the fixed sleeve 117
with the flat plate 32 extended across the air passage 115. When
the flat plate 32 is turned to different angular position in the
air passage 115, the size of a sectional area of the air passage
115 is changed to thereby regulate the volume of air that flows
through the air passage 115. The slotted annular body 31 is
provided on a wall thereof with a pair of spiral slots 311, and
defines therein a channel 312 of a predetermined length. The
channel 312 is communicable with the spiral slots 311, and the
push-button control unit 40 is mounted in the channel 312 (see FIG.
3).
[0026] The push-button control unit 40 includes a control button
41, an elastic element 42, and a suspension arm 43.
[0027] The control button 41 is received in the channel 312 of the
annular body 31 of the control plate 30, and has a first and a
second pusher 411, 412 extended from two opposite sides thereof.
The first and the second pusher 411, 412 are separately engaged
with the two spiral slots 311 on the annular body 31, such that
when the control button 41 is pushed, the control plate 30 is
correspondingly driven to rotate. The first pusher 411 includes an
elastic plate 4111 backward extended from a front end of the first
pusher 411. The elastic plate 4111 is slidable in the longitudinal
guide slot 1171 on the fixed sleeve 117, allowing the control
button 41 to slide in the extending direction of the longitudinal
guide slot 1171 between the first-position and the second-position
locating hole 1172a, 1172b. When the elastic plate 4111 is aligned
with one of the locating holes 1172, it moves into the aligned
locating hole 1172a or 1172b, so that the control button 41 is
accurately located at a desired position to set the flat plate 32
of the control plate 30 to a desired angular position in the air
passage 115, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0028] The elastic element 42 is mounted between the channel 312
and the control button 41 to provide an elastic restoring force for
the control button 41 to return from the second-position locating
hole 1172b to the first position locating hole 1172a.
[0029] The suspension arm 43 is put around the fixed sleeve 117,
and includes at least one push block 431 provided at a position
corresponding to and facing toward the locating hole 1172. When it
is desired to return the control button 41 to its initial or first
position, simply press the push block 431 against the elastic plate
4111 engaged with the locating hole 1172, so that the elastic plate
4111 is deformed to move out of the locating hole 1172. The number
of the push blocks 431 is decided depending on the quantity of the
locating holes 1172.
[0030] The push-button control unit 40 also includes a cover 44,
which is screwed to the fixed sleeve 117 to hold the control plate
30, the control button 41, the elastic element 42, and the
suspension arm 43 in the fixed sleeve 117.
[0031] When the control button 41 is pushed for the push-button
control unit 40 to move from the first position to the second
position, the first and the second pusher 411, 412 at two sides of
the control button 41 synchronously push the pair of spiral slots
311 on the slotted annular body 31, so that the flat plate 32 of
the control plate 30 is turned from a first angular position to a
second angular position. That is, the diver needs only to push the
control button 41 to change the turning angle of the control plate
30, so that air volume supplied from the air-pressure regulator 10
to the diver via the air passage 115 and the mouthpiece 114 can be
properly controlled depending on the diving depth.
[0032] Please refer to FIG. 6 that is a sectional view taken along
a plane passing through the flat plate 32 of the control plate 30.
When the air supply control device for air-pressure regulator
according to the present invention is used at a relatively small
diving depth, there is a lower air density and accordingly faster
air speed. At this point, the diver may set the control button 41
of the push-button control unit 40 to the first position. In this
first position, the elastic plate 4111 of the control button 41 is
extended into and engaged with the first-position locating hole
1172a on the fixed sleeve 117, as shown in FIG. 4, and the flat
plate 32 of the control plate 30 is correspondingly maintained at a
first angular position, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6. When
the flat plate 32 is set to the first angular position, most part
of its side surface faces against the direction "a" in which the
air flows into the air passage 115, so that a large part of the
sectional area of the air passage 115 communicating with the
mouthpiece 114 is blocked by the flat plate 32, and the air passage
115 shall have a reduced sectional area for the air. In other
words, the air volume that is allowed to pass through the air
passage 115 to be drawn in by the diver at the mouthpiece 114 is
reduced, protecting the diver from being choked with air flowing at
a quick speed.
[0033] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the control button 41 is
pushed to the second position. Please refer to FIGS. 5 and 6 at the
same time. When the air supply control device for air-pressure
regulator according to the present invention is used at a
relatively large diving depth, there is a higher air density and
accordingly slower air speed. At this point, the diver may push the
control button 41 for it to move along the longitudinal guide slot
1171 on the fixed sleeve 171 from the first position to the second
position. At this point, the first and second pushers 411, 412 at
two sides of the control button 41 are pressed against walls of the
two spiral slots 311 on the annular body 31 to thereby turn the
whole control plate 30. Meanwhile, the elastic plate 4111 of the
control button 41 is brought to align and engage with the
second-position locating hole 1172b on the fixed sleeve 117, as
shown in FIG. 5, and the flat plate 32 of the control plate 30 is
moved from the first angular position into a second angular
position, as shown by the phantom lines of FIG. 6. When the flat
plate 32 is set to the second angular position, it has an edge
facing against the direction "a" in which the air flows toward the
air passage 115, so that only a very small part of the air passage
115 is blocked by the flat plate 32. That is, the air passage 115
shall have an almost unchanged sectional area for the air. In other
words, the air volume that is allowed to pass through the air
passage 115 to be drawn in by the diver is increased, protecting
the diver from breathing quickly due to a slow air speed. In the
present invention, the elastic plate 4111 on the control button 41
is configured as a rearward hook. That is, the elastic plate 4111
has a front end, which moves in the same direction as that in which
the control button 41 is pushed, being formed into a slant face
4112. When the control button 41 is pushed to move forward along
the longitudinal guide slot 1711 on the fixed sleeve 171, the slant
face 4112 of the elastic plate 4111 is in contact with a wall 1173
of the locating hole 1172, and is compressed and deformed by the
wall 1173 to keep moving forward along the longitudinal guide slot
1171. When the control button 41 is moved to the second position,
the elastic plate 4111 is aligned with the second-position locating
hole 1172b and springs into the latter due to an elastic restoring
force of the elastic plate 4111, so that the control button 41 is
continuously held to the second position, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0034] When the diver returns from the larger diving depth to the
smaller diving depth, he may depress the suspension arm 43 fitted
around the fixed sleeve 117, so that the push block 431 provided on
the suspension arm 43 is pressed against the elastic plate 4111
engaged with the second-position locating hole 1172b, causing the
elastic plate 4111 to deform and move out of the second-position
locating hole 1172b into the fixed sleeve 117. At this point, the
elastic element 42 mounted between the channel 312 and the control
button 41 elastically pushes the control button 41 from the second
to the first position. Meanwhile, the first and second pushers 411,
412 on the control button 41 synchronously push the pair of spiral
slots 311 on the annular body 31, so as to turn the control plate
30 from the second angular position back to the first angular
position, as shown in FIG. 4 and indicated by the solid line in
FIG. 6. At this point, the air passage 115 has a decreased
sectional area to reduce the air volume passing through the air
passage 115 within one unit of time, protecting the diver from
being choked with air flowing at a quick speed.
[0035] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there are two
locating holes 1172a, 1172b provided on the fixed sleeve 117.
However, it is understood the number of the locating holes 1172 is
not limited to two. Three or more locating holes 1172 may be
provided depending on the desired number of angular positions for
the control plate 30. FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an air supply
control device for air-pressure regulator according to a second
embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment,
there are three locating holes 1172 provided on the fixed sleeve
117, namely, a first-position locating hole 1172a, a
second-position locating hole 1172b, and a third-position locating
hole 1172c to set the control plate 30 to three different angular
positions. With the elastic plate 4111 being engaged with different
locating hole, the first and second pushers 411, 412 on the control
button 41 are located at different position in the spiral slots
311, and the flat plate 32 of the control plate 30 is set to
different angular position across the air passage 115 to control
the air supplied via the air passage 115 to the mouthpiece 114.
[0036] The present invention has been described with some preferred
embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *